As Florida lawmakers advance bills to restrict children's access to social media, today's Safer internet Day is a global campaign to raise awareness about the benefits and risks of connected technology.

With the theme "Together for a Better internet," organizers are calling on parents to get more involved and open lines of communication with their kids about their screen times.

Yvonne Johnson, president of the National Parent Teacher Association, said families and caregivers should aim to promote healthy digital habits by having open dialogue about the use of various apps and websites.

"We want families to literally have these conversations with their kids, because, first of all, they should be talking to each other," Johnson pointed out. "They definitely should be talking about what they are doing on the internet because, as you know, there are a lot of things that can happen."

Families should have a plan for their internet use and should openly discuss do's and don'ts, such as avoiding sharing personal information. Johnson noted they have partnered with ConnectSafely to host a free virtual event called "Smart Digital Parenting."

Last week, the Florida House approved a contentious bill prohibiting children younger than 16 from accessing popular social media platforms, regardless of parental consent.

Johnson suggested a strategy to encourage healthy use of digital platforms, termed the "three T's": talk, try and teach. The approach involves actively engaging with your children by downloading an app they are interested in, learning it together, and navigating the platform collaboratively to promote a safer online experience.

"This way, you can talk together about it and make sure that they are not using it, and then teaching your kids about security and privacy settings," Johnson outlined. "That's probably one of the top things, other tools that are available in the app."

Proponents argued the bill safeguards children from the dangers of social media, including bullying, predators, and mental health issues. Opponents claim it violates the First Amendment and believe parents should decide which sites their children can access.

The potential dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education has sparked concern in Ohio.

Threatened moves by the Trump administration's so-called Department of Government Efficiency have Buckeye educators and union leaders worried about the effects on students and schools across the state.

Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, said Ohio schools receive approximately 10% of their funding from federal sources, with some high-poverty districts relying on as much as 25%.

"What we see happening now is the administration taking a sledgehammer, eliminating staff, cutting programs, canceling contracts," DiMauro observed. "And all of that, while it seems like DC stuff, it's things that have a real impact on our students and educators here in the state of Ohio."

DiMauro added programs like Title I, which support over 800,000 low-income students and federal oversight of special education would be significantly affected. The Department of Education released a statement saying it would cut nearly 50% of the department's workforce.

The Department of Government Efficiency, guided by billionaire Elon Musk, aims to reduce government waste and cut funding to schools promoting "critical race theory" and "transgender ideologies".

The possible dissolution of the Education Department also raises concerns among federal employees within the Department of Education.

Sheria D. Smith, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252, the union that represents Department of Education employees, said it is a relatively tiny federal agency of just 4,000 employees. She noted five years ago under the last Trump Administration, department staff were asked to fulfill Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training and now they are being told they are being laid off for upholding DEI.

Smith explained members hold roles such as civil rights attorneys, loan processors, statisticians, IT professionals and press specialists.

"What we are not, though many of us are former teachers, we are not teachers," Smith pointed out. "We do not dictate curriculum, talk about fraud, race, and waste, and abuse. How many people who are making double our salary don't seem to even understand what we do at the U.S. Department of Education."

While some Ohioans see the move as an opportunity for greater state control over education, others warned it could lead to funding gaps and increased burdens on local taxpayers.

Legislation to overhaul the way Oregon funds early childhood special education has advanced through the state House with near unanimous support, moving to the Senate Education Committee.

House Bill 2682 would create an advisory committee to recommend service updates, incorporating the latest research and family experiences.

Rep. Courtney Neron, D-Wilsonville, is sponsoring the bill. She said the current funding model no longer reflects the reality of what it takes to support young children with disabilities and the bill would set the state up for success.

"This prepares us to know exactly what needs to change in our early intervention, early childhood special education to make sure that we are taking appropriate legislative next steps," Neron explained.

Neron highlighted the need to update the timing of special education funding, which is currently allocated in the spring. She noted programs often grow by 40% during the school year, leaving staff overwhelmed with caseloads in the second half.

Stacy Rager, executive director of early learning for the Northwest Regional Education Service District, said Oregon needs a new funding model to ensure children receive more instructional time, closer to the 30 hours of preschool per week offered by other states. She noted students in Oregon sometimes get as few as 4 hours of special education services per week.

"I have had many tearful conversations with families where they move in from a different part of the country," Rager recounted. "I have to deliver the sad news that we just are not funded at that level."

Rager hopes to stabilize special education funding, which has been experiencing large swings over the years, to prevent staff cuts directly affecting families. Her team includes special education teachers, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists.

"Finding people that want to do this work that have a heart for this work, and then to have to hire and lay off hire and lay off," Rager observed. "It's just so hard on the staff and on the families."

She added with adequate funding, her program can extend its services inside preschools, offering additional adult support and training for preschool staff.


get more stories like this via email

Cuts to the U.S. education system are expected to create a profound ripple effect on students and staff in Hamtramck's already struggling school district.

Hamtramck serves more than 2,900 students, including 300 in special-education programs.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education laid off nearly half of its employees - with approximately 89 contracts, totaling close to $900 million.

Toni Coral is a teacher and president of the Hamtramck Federation of Teachers. She highlighted how these cuts will hit her district especially hard.

"Hamtramck is a district with a lot of what we call Title 1 students," said Coral, "at-risk students, and poorer families. If Title 1 went away, or if it was substantially reduced, we would lose teachers and our students would lose a lot of services."

Staff members from the U.S. Department of Education will be placed on administrative leave starting this Friday. The federal government seeks to slash spending by as much as $2 trillion.

Title I funding was created in 1965 and helps schools with many low-income students that need financial support.

Coral discussed some of the special services that would be affected by the cuts. She noted that Title I funding is essential for providing the support certain students need to thrive.

"With Title 1 money, we're able to hire certified staff to work in smaller groups to target their reading, their literacy, to work on math skills," said Coral, "and language skills for our students in Hamtramck who are brand new to the country, or relatively new to the country and just learning English. It would be devastating."

There are plans to get rid of 17 federal education programs and slash almost $5 billion from Title I funding.

This could lead to 72,000 teachers losing their jobs in schools that serve low-income students across the country.